If you are looking for a bigtime boost to your credit score, consider using these 5 tips as a guideline for building your score in 12 months. Each tip is meant to help you achieve a better credit score that is both maintainable and positive.

Create a Monthly Budget

Get an accountant. Or, better yet, learn how to manage your money on a month-to-month basis. Divvy up your paychecks to the bills that will best help you get out of debt. Relief of debt will ultimately cause your credit score to make significant leaps upwards over the year.

Ask for Help

When in doubt, ask for help from a credit restoration company, or likewise credit improvement agency. These kinds of firms work diligently to thoroughly research and consolidate your credit. They then come up with a payment plan that works around your budget. Work with them to create a plan that you can stick to until your credit score has increased to a desirable number.

Get a Designated Credit Card

Grocery shopping or buying gas is a great time to use a credit card. These expenses are small enough that you can pay them off quickly, which gives your credit score a little boost in the right direction. Every little bit helps, after all. Apply for a credit card that you can designate for these small expenses.

Pay Off Your School & Student Loans

Student loans are a huge drain on your credit score. And many people neglect to pay them off on time, much less at all. Instead of ignoring your school loans, opt to pay them off in a timely fashion. Work with your loan agency to develop a payment plan that works for your budget. Stick to it. Your credit score will get better and better as your student loans decrease.

Talk About Your Debt with Your Bank

If you have expended all of your options, talk to your bank about consolidation of your debts. Having your debts in a single, convenient location could help you to pay them off. Which, in turn, will boost your credit score since your bank, and your bill collectors, will report to the credit bureaus.

Good credit scores are an investment in your future. In today’s world, you can do so much with good credit, such as buy a house or purchase a new car. You can even snag better payment plans for the stuff you already own. Make a decision, right now, to improve your credit score for the future.